Memes

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Transcript of Memes

doing it for the lulzWhat isHUMOR?What is a meme?"unit of cultural transmission"How to make a memeor How To Be Funny on the Internet"Benign"A situation is "benign" when:Conflicting normsWeakly committed to normViolation is psychologically distant"Violation"PhysicalDignityLinguisticSocialMoralToo soon?"Tragedy + Time""There is no humor in heaven"Example: TicklingYou can't tickle yourself: no violationYou can't be tickled by strangers: not benignYou must see the things that are wrong in the world and make them okay.DistanceBig violations only OK for a strangerSmall violations OK for YOUDisability Memes: A Case StudyDo ResearchCompose contentTools of the tradePhoto memeImgur: easy from scratchAviary: iOS or Android appPhotoshop: for the "pros"Video memeInstagramVineYouTube???Benign ViolationScary or surprising or shocking...but not too muchIn Evolutionary TermsRichard Dawkins in The Selfish Gene:Greek "mimeme" meaning "imitation"A Brief HistoryIn Internet TermsMore mimicry than imitation:"static" memes are simply viral content"remixed" memes are subject to natural selectionKnow thyselfBe inspiredAvoid duplicationBe trendy (kairos)ImageShort catchpraseMake sure they match in TONEPhotoshopPixlr EditorImgurAnd know your meme's style guide!Profit!!!Share your meme and enjoy your 15 minutes!...or 15 seconds

"used to give a bit of pseudo-academic gravitas to stupid viral shit"¯\(°_o)/¯Evolution only requires a "self-replicating unit of transmission" subject to:VariationReplicationDifferential fitnessNow frequently used in marketing campaigns(that's what we would be doing!)200020032008200619971982All Your BaseLittle FattyFirst time a private photo of an ordinary person became a memeLOLCats and Advice DogWe love anthropomorphic animalsRage ComicsMulti pane comics

Rapidly "mutated" into fancy emoticons and now emojisBert is EvilIn 1994 Photoshop added "layering," which made it easier to doctor photos

In 1997, Bert is Evil became the first modern memeTimely memes: the truth did NOT go viral!

Spread from pathos, not humor: people trying to grieve togetherCross-cultural humor: translation issues are funnyEveryone decided to participate and add to the videoSwept the world in daysThis has become more common as people upload more and more digital photosAnimals have stereotypes constant across culturesAre read like single pane comics, so a familiar format for visual rhetoricThe Future of Memes"Cognitive surplus" - we engage with the world

Memes help us quickly process the onslaught of global information

Understanding memes - "getting the joke" - requires mental flexibilityMemes are the futurehttp://southpark.cc.com/clips/155337/crocodile-hunterTourist of Death